Yuengling: So Much Better Than It Was

The Yuengling Brewery in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. (Photo by John Holl)

D.G. Yuengling & Son is America’s oldest brewery, established by David Yuengling in 1829 in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. Within less than a year, the brewery burned and was rebuilt on the side of the hill over town, where it still is today, still run by a Yuengling. Surprisingly, at this point it is also the largest 100 percent American-owned brewery, or as I like to say, the largest 100-percent family-owned brewery in America.

Dick Yuengling is very much the owner, the man who runs things. He’s been running them since 1986 … which is the year I first visited the brewery. You know how long ago that is? I actually wrote a letter, on a typewriter, to set up a tour. They didn’t do tours on Fridays—the only day I could go—because they didn’t brew on Fridays; that was cleanup and maintenance day. We walked around the place with the VP of marketing and Dick Yuengling Sr., Dick’s dad, who would hand over the reins about six weeks later. I have a blown-up picture from the day framed above my desk: me, my friends Bob and Scott and Mr. Yuengling, in the taproom.

(Photo by Scott Fasnacht)

In 1986 there were 124 breweries in the U.S., according to the Brewers Association. Yuengling was making about 155,000 barrels a year at that point. “Premium” was the big seller, but it also had Lord Chesterfield (labeled as an ale, but really a more heartily hopped lager), Pottsville Porter and Premium Light. It would soon add Black & Tan, a blend of the Premium and Porter that would be a frenzied success in the Philadelphia area, followed a couple of years later by Yuengling Lager, which would simply explode, driving the business to its current levels of success.

I remember interviewing long-time Yuengling brewmaster Ray Norbert in 1995 about that success. We talked for almost two hours, including a walk around the plant, viewing the first major expansion in decades, a sparkling new lagering cellar. At the end of the interview I took the plunge, got my beer geek nerve up, and asked him if he’d ever thought about doing an all-malt beer. I can still recall the look he gave me (gently pitying, it was), and his answer. “I’m running two shifts, six days a week; I’ve got this new expansion online; and I still can’t make as much beer as the guys are selling,” he said, and leaned in, serious. “What’s broken that I need to fix?”

Now, with three brewing locations (the original and a new plant across town, plus the old Stroh brewery in Tampa) and a new state, Mississippi, just added to the territory, Yuengling’s still not broken. Production blew through 2 million barrels a year a while back and is closing in on 3 million. The Brewers Association has embraced it as a craft brewery, and as if to prove it, Yuengling’s added seasonals like Bock, Oktoberfest, an excellent German-style Summer Wheat, and most recently a new IPL.

Like the market for alternative, non-mainstream beer in general, so much has changed in 30 years. Yuengling isn’t scrimping along anymore, not begging wholesalers to take a chance. The Yuengling brewers have plans and fans, and the bank is full of money. They’re moving the tasting room, museum and gift shop across the street to the old Yuengling ice cream plant, a major renovation that is taking advantage of the company’s history with some really neat old stuff that’s been buffed up and integrated into the building.

They’re solid, too. Did you weep and wail when Goose Island sold, when Lagunitas or 10 Barrel or Ballast Point sold? Dick Yuengling hasn’t sold, and he isn’t going to sell to anyone but his daughters (that’s how the family does things: The next generation doesn’t inherit the business; it has to buy it). Talk about noncorporate, the last time I interviewed him, he was wearing jeans and a worn flannel shirt and used his styrofoam coffee cup as an ashtray. He still answers calls, and if a new driver has trouble with the loading dock, he’ll hop in the cab and back it neatly into place. This guy, this brewery, this brand, this beer is so real you could pound nails with it.

Oh, I know. No matter what the Brewers Association calls it, most of you don’t think of this as “craft” beer. (Probably a fair number of you don’t think of Samuel Adams as craft beer, so what can I tell you?) It’s made with corn; that’s macro lager style. Maybe the porter was OK back in the day when there was nothing else, but we’ve gotten beyond that. Who cares?

Millions of relaxed beer drinkers, that’s who. Yuengling is like a lot of things in your life: stable, reliable, not likely to put a hitch in anything. It’s the worn comfortable shirt, the music you know every word to, the meal you don’t need a recipe to make. Not everything has to shake you awake with every sip, and when you want that, it’s good to have an honest alternative, a regional, independent, family-owned beer. As a bar owner in Philly told me some years back, when the best-selling beer in your city is a locally brewed amber lager, that’s a pretty damned good thing.

I drank Yuengling back in the day. It was solid, it was different from the all-too-similar big beer choices, and it was local, authentic. I’d been to Pottsville and seen the old, worn bricks, the copper grant, the sacks of corn and water treatment sitting around, the clanking machinery that they still let you get right next to on the tour. These guys hide nothing, because they have nothing to hide; they make beer the way they make beer. That’s why I still drink it today.

The explosion of new breweries is a great thing, but to look at it fairly takes perspective. You can learn a lot from looking at what a brewery founded in 1829 has had to deal with, including success.

Lew Bryson’s been drinking non-mainstream beer since 1981 and writing about it since 1994. He lives in the Philadelphia suburbs.

Lew, I tried the lager about 6 years ago and have never bought anything else since that day! I was drinking the popular light beers that look and taste much like water and just got tired and decided to try Yuengling. It is a real beer and love that it is brewed locally by a family owned company! I swear this is my goto beer forever, it is that good.

On January 22nd, 2016, I celebrated my 36th yr. of working for Yuengling!!! I’m not just a loyal employee, but also a loyal fan!!! My favorite is Chesterfield Ale, but depending on my mood, can enjoy each and every one of our brands!!! Yuengling is A GREAT COMPANY and A GREAT BEER, TOO!!!

I think the title is a little misleading. I’d have said, maybe, Yeungling: Aging Gracefully or Yeungling: Recipe for Success. But, “So much better” just doesn’t seem congruent with the content or your obvious love of the beer. That said – enjoyed the piece & love the beer!

Who gives a crap…they refuse to come back to Wisconsin and they should shove off. I respect that they have been around forever and wont sell, but then go nationwide if you are doingn 3million barrels turds!!

Josh, you’re on the verge of blasphemy where I come from. It’s that way of thinking that has gotten us such delights as “Coors Light”, “Miller Light” and that “Budweiser Margherita” piss.. That can be purchased in just about every corner of the world and I’d quit drinking before I was ever forced to buy that mass produced vomit. Obviously D. Yuengling doesn’t need to worry about your opinion because he’s selling 3 million barrels, despite the fact that they’re only selling to half the US (or less?) Besides, I don’t want some Packers fan with all his hipster, “hate on everything” friends, enjoying a case of our finest. Josh, you can go back to your corporate owned piss, we’ll happily drink 3 million barrels without any qualms. Respectfully, you are the turd, Josh “lets-whine-because-they’ve-got-the-best-beer-and-I-don’t” from Wisconsin

They were the first ones to deliver a keg to the White House after Prohibition was repealed. My grandaddy delivered beer for them in the 1930s so I have always felt a familial connection to Yuengling, plus, it’s just fantastic summer, winter, spring and fall. Kudos and cheers!

Writing about beer, I had the opportunity to travel the world, visit exotic breweries, taste the rarest and most legendary beers. I’ve retired and now I spend my days across the street from a Florida beach. Know what is still my go-to beer as an excellent match with oysters on the half shell? Yuengling Lager.

I went to college in central PA and I’ve always had a soft spot for the brand. I even used them as a case study for a business writing class. BTW, I think they’ve made a great move with the new IPL. It bridges a gap and is great with pub food!

Started drinking Yuengling on my yearly trips to Key West, FL. For our 2003 trip, I ordered my buddy and I matching Yuengling visors. While drinking one night, a lady asked us about our hats. It was one of the Yuengling daughters who talked to us for awhile and even bought us a round. It’s been my go-to beer since they launched in SC.

I lived the the SF Bay area when Anchor first started bottling. This was the only American beer I would drink. In 1972, I moved to Boston and drank imports until my friend Charlie asked me if I wanted beer from the oldest brewery in the nation and extolled Yuengling’s quality. “Ying Who?” I said. Since you could only buy it in PA, he made a monthly beer run and filled up his pickup truck. From then on, I had a standing order with Charlie for 1 case each – lager, porter and Chesterfield Ale. In 1972, I would say there were only 2 “craft” breweries in the US. Yuengling and Anchor were brewing good beer long before anyone defined “craft”.

I tried it during a visit to Florida and the corn flavor was strong and the aftertaste reminded me of diactyl. I tried on draft, in bottle and in a can and have never been able to finish it. I don’t see why more people don’t identify the diactyl.

For those of us who mistakenly purchased “Old German” back in college, things are MUCH IMPROVED. When I say ‘mistakenly purchased’ I mean… we were dirt poor and bought the cheapest thing on the shelf (which was usally Wiedemanns or Olympia… but someone at the beer store must have stumbled on a few extra cases of OG in the back room that he had to get rid of before they expired)

Y’all need to get dat beer to Louisiana !!! PooYiii dats some good beer ! We have an understanding between 10 great friends that whosoever goes to Alabama shall call & take orders !! Best beer We have ever tasted & that’s saying allot comeing from some good folk on da Bayou in Southwest Louisiana !!!!!

A friend and I took the tour this morning, both of us for the first time. What a pleasure! As you say, they allow visitors to get right up close to just about all phases of the manufacturing process, and the tour winds through the warren of buildings that have accumulated on the site in the past 180+ years: even without great beer at the end, well worth the time spent. When my wife and I first moved to Pennsylvania in 1992, we went to the local beer distributor in Hughesville (Lycoming County), and knowing no better looked up and down in the “imports” aisle; the owner, originally from Belgium, gently pointed us to the lager, telling us we would find nothing better; he got that right! Thanks, Lew, for helping spread the word about a rare treasure, i.e. a family-owned, American-owned, successful, and friendly company —

I recently tried Yuengling lager at a Massachusetts bar on “$3 draft” night and was not too impressed. Did not know it was corn-based, but that accounts for the unusual taste. Good write up though, so I will give some of their other brews.

I live in the UK , but travel to see friends in Gotha Florida and its the best 2 weeks of the year because i get to drink Yuengling…Also travelled to Gatlinburg Tennessee a few weeks ago , and so glad to find it served in the local Bars….Please start selling it in the UK..Please Please Please

I moved from Texas to Pa. I started drinking Yuengling. I moved to Maryland and started a band. I wrote a fun drinking song about Yuengling. I still drink Yuengling all the time and wonder how to get them to hear their song:)

Had my first lager 3 years ago when I visited a friend in Lancaster. Being from Iowa I had never heard of yuengling now I can’t get enough of it in fact I can’t get it all in Iowa but have made several trips east just to bring a great beer home. I’m begging please bring yuengling to Iowa please

I started drinking Yuengling after my dad came for a visit and left a few beers from a 12 pack of Lager he bought in my fridge. I liked it better than what I had been drinking so I switched brands. Then I read about the brewery and how it is the oldest brewery in America and is family owned.

I always look forward to the Oktoberfest beer and wish it were available all year. When the liberals recently announced their boycott of Yuengling beer over Dick’s support of Donald Trump for President I decided that was a good excuse to go buy several 12 packs!

I love this beer been drinking it since 2004. I like the new logos and enjoyed the Tampa tour a lot. I’m glad Tampa kicks it out because Florida loves this brew. I celebrate the memories with this great beer, I’m always thankful for more. Thank You! Yuengling

I first tried the lager during a job visit to Pottsville around 2000. Fell in love with the beer, but when returning to Michigan it was not available. Still isn’t, but Indiana now is on the distribution list. I stock up at Costco, and now it is the only beer I allow in the house.
Never change, you are an institution!

As a Tampa native who toured the brewery there before I could legally drink, I have to laud the virtues of the best cheap beer in the country. I’ll be buying Yuengling till I die. The military has moved me to a few locales that don’t sell it, and let me tell you, those are some rough years.